Deadline nears for Mo. candidates to withdraw

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Embattled Missouri U.S. Senate candidate Todd Akin faces a tight deadline if he chooses to leave the race, after at least one fellow Republican called on him to step down.

Speculation about Akin’s future is growing, a day after he said women’s bodies are able to prevent pregnancies in “a legitimate rape” situation. Scott Brown, a Republican U.S. senator from Massachusetts, said Monday that Akin should step aside.

Missouri election law allows candidates to withdraw 11 weeks before Election Day. That means the deadline to exit the Nov. 6 election would be Tuesday at 5 p.m. Otherwise, candidates would need a court order to withdraw.

If Akin leaves, the Republican state committee has two weeks to name a replacement.